1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved bingo game, and more particularly, to a multiple bingo game card or sheet.
2. Description of Related Art
The game of chance known as bingo has been played for years in churches, schools and bingo halls and is often a major source of revenue for the sponsor of the game. To provide more variety for the game and to attract and retain players, bingo halls have created numerous variations of the standard bingo game.
The traditional bingo game is a game of chance in which players are given one or more cards with a matrix of five vertical columns and five horizontal rows. One letter of the word BINGO is located at the top of each vertical column with a 5.times.5 matrix of numbers below the letters. Five numbers, randomly selected between 1 and 15 are located beneath the letter B; five randomly selected numbers between 16 and 30 are located beneath the letter I; five randomly selected numbers between 31 and 45 are located beneath the letter N; five randomly selected numbers between 46 and 60 are located beneath the letter G; and five randomly selected numbers between 61 and 75 are located beneath the letter O. A bingo caller randomly selects balls numbered 1 through 75, calling out the selected numbers. Once a player has numbers on his or her game card which have been called and which create a predetermined configuration, this player yells "Bingo" and wins the game. It is not uncommon for more than one player to create the predetermined configuration at the same time, these players must share the prize.
In what is known as "straight-line" bingo, the winner is the first player to get a straight-line either horizontally, vertically or diagonally across the bingo matrix.
Bingo halls typically play a series of straight-line bingo games over the course of an evening. To make the games more exciting, the bingo hall can modify the straight-line bingo game by providing for a higher bonus cash prize if the winning combination is on one or more specially designated bonus bingo matrices. Typically, the player has to purchase the bonus bingo matrices separately from the straight-line bingo matrices which have the lower cash prize. These different matrices are typically distinguished by the color the bingo card.
The bingo hall may also periodically play "specials" which differ from the straight-line bingo game in the configuration of the winning combination of numbers. Specials also have a significantly larger cash prize than straight-line bingo In an example of a "special" players must create a "picture frame" on the bingo matrix in order to win. A picture frame is created when the player has filled all of the spaces around the perimeter of his or her card. Another example of a special is an "X" game. In this variation, the player wins when the marks on his or her card extend diagonally from corner to corner of the matrix thereby creating an X shape. Numerous other "specials" are possible. Specials are not played on hard cards, they are played on specially printed disposable paper sheets.
Traditionally, a bingo hall purchases a stock of bingo matrices which are printed on thick durable paper or cardboard. These cards are known as "hard cards" with one matrix on each card. The bingo games would begin each evening with the players arriving early enough to sift through the hall's stock of cards to locate suitable cards or cards which were "lucky". Typically, each player plays several straight-line cards and one or more bonus cards for each straight-line game. The player must pay for each card which he or she intends to play during the evening.
The bingo game proceeds by the caller randomly selecting one of the 75 bingo balls and calling out the appropriate number. The balls are typically drawn rapidly with a prescribed period of time in between each ball that is drawn. When playing a hard card, the player marks his bingo matrix by placing a plastic chip or marker of some kind over the number after it has been called. At the conclusion of each individual game, the hard card player has to clear the chips from his or her card and prepare for the next game. Most players use chips with a ferro-magnetic material embedded therein and a magnetic wand to gather up the chips from their several cards at the end of the game.
At the end of the evening, the hall collects the cards and reuses them. Hard cards are used repeatedly which is unsanitary and often results in players using faded, bent or soiled cards. It is not uncommon for players to purposely fail to return cards which they consider to be lucky at the end of the evening. Another problem in using hard cards is the time required each evening for the players to sift through the cards to locate acceptable cards. In addition, the hall must replace the cards periodically when the cards become mutilated after repeated use or when they are stolen.
As an alternative to "hard cards" for bingo, some halls play on "paper" cards. Paper cards are sold in packages which comprise multiple sheets of paper stacked upon each other. Each sheet of paper has multiple bingo matrices printed thereon. When the player arrives to the bingo hall, instead of choosing individual hard cards, he or she purchases one or more paper packets. Each packet contains one sheet for each game of the evening. The player plays all of the bingo matrices on the first sheet for the first game and marks these sheets with an ink marker bottle or ink "dauber" as the numbers are called. Once a winner is declared and the game is over, the player merely removes the top sheet from the paper packet and plays the next game on the next adjacent sheet. The marked sheet is discarded.
There are several advantages to paper over hard cards. First, players need not sift through a stack of cards which are soiled and unsanitary. Secondly, the players can use an ink marker or dauber to quickly mark the bingo matrices as the game proceeds. The use of ink daubers is much quicker than the removable chips used with hard cards. Ink daubers eliminate the need to gather up the chips from the several different cards at the termination of the game.
Not surprisingly, there are devoted hard card players who refuse to play paper and likewise there are paper players who refuse to go back to hard cards. This dilemma has presented problems for bingo halls in attempting to accommodate both hard card players and paper players. Most halls play only hard cards or only paper. These halls are undoubtedly losing potential players because of the players' particular preference. One alternative is to operate a hall in which players have the option of playing hard cards or playing paper, a "hybrid game".
The problem with a hybrid hard card/paper game is the ability of the paper player to participate in the bonus colored hard cards. The paper player not only has to purchase his paper packet, but also must purchase the individual bonus colored hard cards. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible for a paper player to play both the paper and hard cards at the same time. The paper player must use his or her ink marker bottle for the paper card and also use chips to play the bonus colored hard cards. The bingo hall will not permit the player to use the ink marker on the hard cards because the ink would destroy the card. At the speed at which numbers are called during the game, it is extremely difficult for the paper player to keep up with both the paper and the bonus hard cards at the same time because he or she has to mark the matrices differently.
A hybrid game also requires a hard card player to come equipped with chips and a wand for use on the hard cards and an ink dauber and a sheet of plastic for the paper specials. Usually the hard card player lays his or her cards out in front of them during the traditional straight-line bingo games. When a special game is played, hard card players usually place the paper special on top of their hard cards. To prevent ink from passing through to the hard cards below, hard card players are forced to bring a small sheet of plastic to prevent the ink from passing through.
Therefore, it can be seen that the hard card player has to bring extra .equipment to the hall in order to participate in both the specials and the hard card and bonus games. Similarly, the paper player is faced with the dilemma of trying to play both hard cards and paper in order to participate in the straight-line game and the bonus games. Therefore, hybrid games are an inconvenience for both the hard card and the paper player.